Man: It’s that connection to somebody. I’ve, I’ve, you know, I’ve waited on phone calls. I mean, you know, I enjoy the connection that talking on the phone um…provides. I mean, I…I don’t know if you’ve ever called one of those phone chat lines…not like a phone sex line…but like a, um…you know, you call up and you get connected to random people and stuff like that.
Woman: I’ve never done that.
Man: You’ve never done that?
Woman: No.
Man: It’s like…it’s kinda fun actually. Um...and uh…you know, I like that idea of talking to someone you’ve never met before…you know, that you don’t know. Just getting to know them a little bit and...just…you know, it’s different, you know…it’s not…it’s just talking to somebody different.
Woman: You just call?
Man: You call an 800 number and buy a block of time and whatever…women can call in for free…um…so you can talk to guys, or girls…and you know…just talk about whatever. Send messages back and forth at first, you know, like…you know, introducing yourself, and then um…it goes to like a live connection where you talk for a little while and um…
Woman: Hahaha yeah.
Man: Um…yeah, so are you enjoying your freedom? The uh…
Woman: No.
Man: Do you like, you like the structure, you like being involved with somebody.
Woman: Ummm—
Man: Like would you say you’re lonely?
Woman: I just feel a little bit displaced, I guess…and I feel kind of like…a little bit embarrassed that…like I should be more independent, I guess…I think that’s—
Man: Well, why does it embarrass you? I mean, you are who you are, you know? You know, it’s, it’s um…just because you want to be in a relationship with, you know, and have somebody in your life, doesn’t mean you’re not independent, it just means you…you wanna be in a relationship and have somebody in your life.
Woman: Yeah. I kind of agree, I just started to question that a little bit.
Man: Yeah.
Woman: Because I got so dependent. And then it seemed like I was doing myself a disservice. And like…
Man: Right, well, when we’re too dependent on another person, I think it can be a disservice. But um, but I think if you are not so utterly dependent on someone that, that’s…and then still be your own person, then that’s a good thing.
Woman: It’s, I don’t know, I just feel like everyone’s kind of like…trying to cut themselves off on a certain level or trying to maintain this sort of impermeable individuality and…
Man: Well, I think we are certainly, to an extent, individuals, but on the other hand, we are connected to other people and…you know…we try to deny that.
Woman: Yeah. Haha. So…
Man: So…
Woman: Are you…
Man: I’m--
Woman: Dating people or… I don’t know, just…
Man: I date on and off, nothing serious.
Woman: Mm-hmm…
Man: Um…yeah, I’ve dated on and off. It’s…I kind of like being alone.
Woman: Mm-hmm.
Man: I miss certain things, but I kind of like being alone. You’ve gotta, see the, you’ve gotta, you know, be like um…um…you gotta strike a balance. It’s not just that you like being alone, you just don’t isolate, you know, that’s, that’s the difference. I…I don’t isolate, I um…I um…I just enjoy my alone time.
Woman: What do you usually do with time off, do you just…do you…
Man: It varies, I’ll…I…I like to read, I like to, uh, go to the gym…you know, I uh…
Woman: So you’re livin’ the dream.
Man: I would say I’m…close to living the dream, as they say.
Woman: Do you live alone?
Man: I do live alone. And I kinda like that.